Key-fastener.



W. KLESPIES.

KEY FASTBNBR APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 23, 1913.

Patented Dec.23,1913.

G H o 0 5 l 2 9 2 E F f S T TENT FICE.

WILLIAM KLESPIES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

KEY-FASTENER.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Knnsrrns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in KeyFasteners, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means for locking a key within a lock to prevent the said key being surreptitiously removed from the lock, should an attempt be made to pick the lock, or under other conditions.

The primary object of the invention is to simplify and improve the existing art by constructing a device of this character which shall embody two members that are pivotally connected together, the pivoted portion of the said members adapted to be inserted over the shank of the knob between the said knob and door, and the legs of the member adapted to be passed through the bow of the key, and if necessary, secured thereto to prevent the turning of the key as well as a removal of the key from the lock.

With the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view illustrating my improvement adapted to be arranged over a knob spindle and to engage with the bow of a key which has been turned to operate a lock. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the position of the device when about to be inserted through the bow of the spring, Fig. 3 is a view showing the device inserted through the bow of the spring, Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the arms of the device connected through the medium of a pad lock, Fig. 5 is an edge view of the improvement, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of the key.

My improvement is especially designed for use upon the doors of rooming houses, hotels or other places designed either as a temporary or permanent abode, but wherein it is desirable to lock the door of a room to prevent entrance to the room by unauthorized persons.

In apartments, boarding-houses, hotels, etc., it is necessary that a master key be employed in order to obtain access to a room to permit of the entrance of the house-maid to the said room during the absence of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 23, 1913.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

Serial No. verses the occupant of the room and an impres S1011 of such master key may be readily made by an unscrupulous person and a duplicate of the key can be constructed so that persons bent upon robbery may freely enter any of the rooms by the use of said duplicate key or by use of a skeleton key.

The looks upon the doors of hostelries are seldom complicated, and are generally of the same construction, and not infrequently one of such keys will operate a number of locks. Also in hostelries where transient guests are not acquainted, it is a common practice for sneak thieves to deliberately open the door of a room and after removing the valuables therefrom make an exit with out attracting attention of the guests. The device, however, is not to be restricted for use in hostelries or similar places, as the same may be employed for locking the keys in private residences, and the device may be employed upon either the interior or exterior of the door.

The 'lIHPIOVGIHGHtcontemplates the em ployment of two members, each comprising a strip of flat metal, each having their edges preferably arcuate and one of their ends curved, the said curved ends being pivotally connected, as at 1, and the arcuate legs 2 and 3 respectively have their opposite ends preferably rounded from their inner edges to their outer edges, to provide what I will term key bow entering points 4. The legs above the points a have a plurality of openings 5 which are adapted to register when one of the legs is swung over the second leg, and when the device is to be applied upon the exterior of the door, the hasp 6 of a padlock 7 is passed therethrough to lock the legs against movement.

In the drawings, the knob of the lock is indicated by the dotted lines, and is indicated by the numeral 8, the sleeve of the knob being shown in Fig. 1 and indicated by the numeral 9, and the end of the lock spindle being also shown in section, and engaged by the sleeve 9, and indicated by the numeral 10. The key or escutchon is indicated by the numeral 11, and is provided with the usual eye 12 and slot 13 for the reception of the bit 14 of the key 15. The pin of the stem is provided with the usual collar 16 which limits the inward movement of the bit to within the lock, and the stem 17 of the said key has its end provided with the usual ring or bow 18. In ordinary doors the bow of the key projects beyond the door a distance, approximately equaling the length of the sleeve 9, and in arranging my device upon the sleeve and within the body of the key, the legs are first spread to the position indicated in Fig. 1. The device is moved downwardly so that its pointed ends 4 are brought to within the bow of the key .15, it being understood that in locking the door the key is turned and necessarily brings the body to a horizontal position. In the position illustrated in Fig. 2, the inner curved edges of the legs contact with the opposite sides of the rounded sleeve 9, and a further downward movement of the device will cause the rounded portion of the legs, adjacent the opposite end thereof to be arranged adjacent the upper face of the sleeve, and if necessary contact with the same. his movement also causes the outer edges of the leg members 2 and 3 to contact with the inner and opposite walls of the how 18 and as a consequence spring the ends a of the legs away from each other in unison, so that certain 01": the openings 5 will register.

hen the device is employed upon the interior of a room it has been found unnecessary to employ securing means for the device, but when the structure is used upon the exterior of a room, the hasp 6 is inserted through the registering opening, as shown in Fig. i, and so the device is securely sustained upon both the key and the sleeve of I claim is The combination with a door provided with a lock, a key within the key-hole and turned to operate the lock to sustain its bow horizontally, of means for locking the key against rotation, said means comprising two flat leg members having arcuate edges and one of their ends rounded and pivot-ally connected together, the said device adapted to have its legs spread and swung upon the sleeve of the knob and to have its points directed thereby through the bow of the key and the arcuate outer edges of said members engage with the opposite sides of the bow to spread the same in opposite directions and to bring one of the openings of one of the legs into register with one of the openings of the second leg, and means passing through the openings for locking the legs.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM KLESPIES.

\Vitnesses L. V. SMITH, WM. COLEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G." 

